Foolish
by Starlight4u
Summary: Sometimes fame and fortune can come at a price. Jealousy will grow, and hatred will begin. Sometimes having everything is worth nothing.
1. The Accident

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Wow, when was the last time I was here? Well, I haven't added anything to the story. I've just revamped it a little so it's a bit more readable. I'll be finished shortly. Now, at the moment, I have three stories going. I won't be able to make that sequel I wanted to. Although, in the long run, I'll try to work on it. You know the disclaimers. If not, go to the credits page and read them there. Hope you enjoy the more readable version of 'Foolish'. Bye!

~*~*~  
**Prologue:**

**The accident **

The couple inside the car hadn't spoken in what seemed like forever. The tension was high and patience was thin. The woman tossed her wavy, dirty- blonde hair behind her shoulders and sighed anxiously.  
  
"What? Now you've got a problem with my driving?" the man interrogated.  
  
"I never said anything about your driving!" she spat, her face slowly turning a slight shade of red.  
  
"You already have a problem with Mac and my relationship. You won't even let me raise my own son the way I'd like to. You get ballistic!"  
  
"I go ballistic because all you two ever do is argue. He's out there earning some money for us, and you get angry that he skips the last half hour of school. And you don't even know the full story of why he skips. Can't you let him off the hook once?"  
  
"Let him off the hook? I want our son to get the best education. To become the best he can be. I don't want his help earning money. I'm sure the two of us together can get more than enough. That's why I don't let him off the hook."  
  
The woman's voice raised higher. "This is exactly why I never get to see my son anymore. Because you scare him off. And we end up getting into bigger fights while he's gone. This is why he gets mad at you. Because you can't control your temper. You are a jerk, a liar, and a rotten father!"  
  
"You take that back!" as he took his hand off the steering wheel, along with his eyes, and slapped his wife across the face.  
  
There wasn't even time to shout a warning. Before there was any time to react, the car slid on the icy road and smashed right into a pole on the side of the road.


	2. The Shot at the Big Time

Chapter One: The shot at the big time  
  
Mac Fraser dragged himself wearily up four flights of stairs to his apartment. He shifted his coat over to his right shoulder and fumbled with his keys. When he found the right one, he forced it into the keyhole and pushed the door open.  
  
Mac threw his coat over the back of the sofa and ripped his beanie hat off of his head, ruffling his chocolate brown hair so it wasn't so matted to his head. When he collapsed backwards onto the worn-out couch, he closed his eyes and exhaled softly. The apartment was very quiet, the only sound coming from younger kids running around and shrieking outside in the snow. Then again, that's about all he heard lately. No more loud yelling or muffled sobs. In a way, the silence was good. But then it reminded him that he was all alone. At least until he saved enough to get back into school and get to a good collage. But the chances of that happening were slim to none in his books.  
  
As if the dam in his chest broke, he began to weep into his hand, still covered by the thick mitten he forgotten about. The tears were soaked up, but his cheeks still managed to become damp. It was strange, because he rarely cried. The only time he did were when he found out both his parents were killed in a car crash, not far from where he was a DJ at a local night club. And that was two years ago.  
  
Sometime during his breakdown, he fell asleep and witnessed another nightmare that kept him awake at nights.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Mac awoke the next morning, still in his clothes from the night before. His mitten was slightly damp and his cheeks were sticky with the dried tears he cried. He shook his head violently to clear his mind and sat up. He looked at a nearby clock to check the time. Twelve twenty-six. The mountains should be open to snowboards now. And then, afterwards, he'd have just enough time to change and get to Lightning, the local club.  
  
He stripped his clothes and stumbled into the shower, half awake as he did so. Turning on the shower, he yelped when the first drops of the cold water hit his back, sending him forwards to shelter until the water warmed up a little. When it finally did, he quickly washed up and finished. He wrapped a towel across his waist and, still dripping wet, ran to his room and flung his closet door open. Inside were a wide variety of jackets, pants, sweaters, shirts, and all kinds of winter attire.  
  
When he found the perfect outfit, a green shirt and jeans, he fixed his hair and grabbed his membership pass, beanie, goggles and a snowboard from the front closet. Making sure he had his keys, he locked the door and raced down the stairs and out the door.  
  
As Mac ran, he put his beanie on and placed the goggles securely over his head. He ran faster and faster until he made it to the mountain slopes at the edge of the city. He smirked and casually made his way to the gate. Holding his pass out in front of him, Mac strolled inside and trekked to the top of the mountain.  
  
Mac set himself up on the bench nearby. With his feet strapped into the hold, he stood up and inched over to the edge. But before he jumped over, someone from behind called out his name.  
  
"Yo Mac! Hey bro, wait up!"  
  
Turning his body slightly so he could see just who it was, he smiled, recognizing almost immediately. "Hey Kyle! How ya been lately?"  
  
Kyle stopped beside Mac, spraying a shower of snow to his sides. "Not a lot. I've been waiting for you. Haven't seen you in forever. Where have you been, hiding under a rock?" he joked.  
  
"Trying to make a living, bro. You know, being the local DJ and all that good stuff."  
  
"Yeah, well. School hasn't been the same since you dropped out." Kyle crossed his arms and blew a piece of blonde hair from his forehead.  
  
"Can't anymore. I would if I could, but private school is just too much to afford anymore. I tried, but that first year and all, well. Let's just say my job now couldn't get me far anymore."  
  
"Dude. I told you. My mom said she'd try and help you out."  
  
"I don't want your charity, Kyle. I'm fine by myself."  
  
Kyle groaned. "If this is about what your parents would do, you've gotta let it go. Hello? You're a sixteen year old, going on seventeen, living without any parents and any known relatives."  
  
Mac turned away, his chest rising and lowering rapidly. "Shut up. You don't know what I've been through, alright? So don't bring my parents into this." he whispered.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up. But you really gotta let it go. It wasn't your fault."  
  
"Yes it was. My dad and I always got into fights, and my mom would get involved by trying to defend me. Therefore, both my parents would fight over my problem. It was the same as that day. It was my fault. I know it was."  
  
There was an awkward silence before either spoke again. But Kyle spoke first. "Anyway, you said you were under some money problems?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Why you ask?"  
  
"I heard somewhere that the SSX officials were in town, trying to find someone to be in the SSX. I figured if anyone was going to get in, it was you. I mean, you are the best snowboarder this town has ever seen. So, try and do your best while your boarding. They might be by the sidelines. You never know." Kyle grinned.  
  
Mac tilted his head. "Uh, whatever. Crazy talk. I'll believe it when I see it," he turned his board so it was ready to go downhill. "Hey, are you coming or what?"  
  
Kyle lined up beside him and they both jumped down at the same time. Mac did his signature move, walking the dog, with a rodeo. Although it was a close call to the ground, he landed it perfectly and received a few applause. He continued to do spectacular tricks, each time landing them.  
  
Kyle pulled up beside him and they immediately went into race mode, both going at speeds of up to seventy-four miles an hour. They both pulled into the finish mark, Mac finishing first. Kyle walked up to him, board in hand. "Oh man! That was the best run I've seen you do! You're awesome. And your signature move! Woah, I've never seen you pull that off with a rodeo. Was it a first? Never mind! Dang, if the SSX officials were here, they'd have you signed up for sure! Hey, how about we go out for some chow or something. My treat." Kyle offered.  
  
Mac smiled, taking his board off. "Nah. Wish I could. But I've gotta get home and get ready for tonight. Bring all my stuff to Lightning and set up in time for opening. Maybe I'll see ya there?"  
  
"Aight. I'll catch ya later bro!" he called as he walked off to another friend of his. Mac watched him leave, but his eye caught a few people dressed in uniform, pointing and staring at him rather oddly.  
  
Probably some parents or something admiring my handiwork. Can't be social services. . . he dismissed while walking off and back home.  
  
~*~*~  
  
That night, Mac sat on the couch, eating his dinner and listening to his walkman on low in case someone came to his door.  
  
The image of the people in uniform kept coming back into his head. And the fact that they were looking at him and pointing at him was a little creepy. If it was social services, why were they at the slopes and not trying to catch him at his apartment?  
  
A knock at the door landed him back in the living room. He removed his headphones and put his food down before going to answer it.  
  
When Mac looked through the peephole, he recognized the uniformed people whom he saw earlier. Curious, he opened it.  
  
"Yo, what up?" he greeted.  
  
"Yes, are you Mackenzie Fraser?" one of the men spoke.  
  
"Uh, yeah. But call me Mac. I haven't been called Mackenzie since the second grade." he looked at all three of the men and chuckled nervously. "Oh, sorry. Would you like to come in?" moving aside so they could make their way in.  
  
He pushed some things off of the couch so that they could sit comfortably. "Well, Mac. We saw you today at the slopes. We thought you were pretty good for someone your age." the taller of them said.  
  
"I have been boarding for quite some time. Since I was six, to be exact." Mac bragged.  
  
"Oh. Well, that's nice. Anyway, we got all your info on your boarding from your friend. Kyle, is it? He says you're the best of the best. And we just had to come and find out for ourselves."  
  
"If you guys are social services, I'm not going freely. You'll have to take me kicking and screaming."  
  
The three men looked at each other, puzzled. "Actually, we're here to ask if you wanted to be in the SSX World Circuit."  
  
Mac widened his eyes, his mouth remaining shut. All of a sudden, he laughed. "No, you've gotta be kidding. Ok, ok. What's your relation to Kyle? Because you can't possibly be the-."  
  
"SSX officials?" one of them cut in.  
  
"Exactly. Wait . . . what?"  
  
The man in the middle of the other two pulled out his wallet and showed his SSX I.D. "We're the SSX officials. We've been looking for someone with your talent to join the other SSX boarders."  
  
"You mean, me?! Boarding with them?! I can't possibly-."  
  
"You've got the talent. Now, all we need is your approval. And maybe your parent's permission."  
  
Mac's stomach turned cold and his heart raced with adrenaline. "Uh . . . my parents? Their permission? Do you really think that's necessary?"  
  
"Well, yeah. You're underage to go without a parent's permission."  
  
"I . . . well, you see . . . I don't have any parents. Or a guardian. I've been living on my own for two years now. They died in an accident."  
  
"Oh. We're sorry."  
  
In an instant, an idea came to him. "Actually, can you take someone who's almost like my parent? Can you take their permission?"  
  
"I'm sure we can make an exception. Why not?"  
  
Mac jumped up, knocking his knee on the coffee table. Wincing, he said, "Follow me. I know exactly who can sign for that form!" 


	3. Do they have internet?

Author's Note: Sorry bout the lack of updates. I have company over. Anyways, this is chapter three, and I'm at a major roadblock in my story. So, chapter . . . whatever . . . . won't be up for a while until I at least get some more chapter's up. No sneak peeks either. ^_^ Please read and review so I can figure out where to go from where I'm at in my story. Thanks so much!  
  
~*~*~  
  
Kyle was doing his homework in his room. His radio was tuned into the local rock alternative station, blaring the song 'Crawling in the Dark'.  
  
"Kyle!! Kyle, can you get the door? I'm busy right now." his mom cried out to him.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm busy too. I've got homework ya know!"  
  
"You can take three seconds of your time to get the door!" she argued. Growling, Kyle rolled off his bed and walked to the door. He looked through the peephole and smiled at the sight of Mac. Maybe he can get him away from his homework for a while to play some basketball or listen to music for a while.  
  
Kyle opened it and his face fell when he saw three uniformed men accompanying Mac. "Can I help you?" he raised an eyebrow as he spoke.  
  
"Yes. Can we have a word with your mom? Little situation. Not to be alarmed."  
  
Kyle moved aside and called out to his mom. "Hey mom! Got some visitors. Say they wanna talk to ya about something."  
  
Mac turned to the men and smiled. "Hey, can I talk to my dawg for now? Until you get that slip thing filled out?"  
  
"Sure. Doesn't bother us." and they filed over to Kyle's mom, who was wiping her hands with a towel.  
  
Kyle's puzzled expression made Mac smirk triumphantly. "You won't believe who those guys are. Take a wild guess."  
  
"Uh, have no clue. It can't be social services because you're too ecstatic about all this."  
  
"THE SSX OFFICIALS!" Mac shouted, jumping up and down.  
  
"Whoa, you're joking. Those same guys I were talking to earlier were SSX officials? Oh sweet! Uh . . . what do they want with my mom?"  
  
"Oh, just her signature that I can join the SSX World Circuit. I had to have a parent's permission to enter." he replied casually.  
  
"You mean to say . . . you can hang out with all the SSX boarders?! Like Marisol and JP?!"  
  
"Yup! I get to be part of the action!" he paused. "No, wait! I'll be the action! Can you believe this?!"  
  
"Macster, this is awesome! We'll see ya on TV. Just, when you give your speech at some fancy, smancy award ceremony, don't forget us little people."  
  
"Ah, bro. Don't worry about that. You'll be the first I thank."  
  
They both shuffled their feet nervously. "So, what's next? Are you leaving immediately after you leave here?"  
  
"Yeah. They don't want me to be alone like this, so they're taking me to the hotel where everyone else is staying at. Afterwards, we're practicing our moves on some private course."  
  
"You think they have Internet? Maybe you can e-mail me while you're gone and all."  
  
"Kyle, I'm not moving. I'll be back for summer. Snowboarding has the word 'snow' in it for a reason. But I'm almost positive they'll have Internet. They're going to make me do schoolwork, since I'm still officially supposed to be in school."  
  
Kyle's mom came out from the kitchen, followed by the SSX officials, smiling broadly. "Finally, Mac. Your hard work is paying off. I signed the permission slip. You're officially in the SSX."  
  
"Alright. Finally, I get to be in the limelight." he muttered to himself.  
  
"Mac, bro. You take care of yourself. And I'll be here when you want any tips from the master. Aight?" Kyle nodded.  
  
Mac couldn't help but smile and gave his friend a high-five. "Aight." he turned to Kyle's mom. "Thanks for everything this past two years. And a special thanks for the signature."  
  
"No problem Mac. Please, have a good time." she nodded, embracing him in a hug as well.  
  
"C'mon Mac. We still gotta get you to the hotel and assign you a roommate." one SSX official interrupted.  
  
"See ya guys later!" he waved as he ran outside the door and to the parking lot, next to the car that he arrived in.  
  
Leaning against it, he smiled and looking into the azure sky. For the first time in three years, he felt like the storm clouds were breaking apart and revealing the rays of the sun. And happiness actually seemed like more than a dream. It was a reality.  
  
~*~*~  
  
With his bags in his hands, Mac was lead to a meeting room, where all the rest of the SSX boarders were already. His palms were sweating and he didn't even notice his knuckles were white from gripping the bags so hard.  
  
From the time he left Kyle's house to now had been total chaos. He hadn't known what to pack, and when he had everything put in his first bag, it ripped in the bottom. So he had to quickly find another bag to put half the stuff in it. Then traffic held them up for at least a half-hour. And conversation wasn't exactly great.  
  
"Mac, please walk faster. We're ten minutes late already. The boarders won't be too pleased."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I'm going as fast as I can with these." Mac held up the baggage he held, struggling desperately.  
  
"Don't worry. It's not that far. Right down the hallway."  
  
And they were right, because at the end of the hallway, the very end of the hallway, was the door to the boardroom. Trembling, he tiptoed inside with the officials right behind. Everyone stopped their chatting and bickering immediately. All eyes were drawn to the new kid.  
  
Mac walked up to the man in the front of the room. He nodded and turned to everyone else. "I've called you all here because we have a new boarder who will be joining you all. His name is Mackenzie Fraser."A few people snickered at his name.  
  
Mac corrected him. "Actually, I go by Mac. I haven't been called Mackenzie since the second grade."  
  
A rather fat man on his right side laughed again. "Still a lame name."  
  
"Luther . . ." a Japanese girl opposite of him warned in a strong Japanese accent. She looked back at Mac and smiled, causing him to blush a light tint of pink.  
  
"Thank you Kaori. Now, if we may continue. Mac, you may take your seat somewhere. And place your bags over there. We'll have someone come by and put them in your room. Now . . ."  
  
Mac put his bags by the door and looked for a spot to sit. The only chair was by the wall, away from the others. He walked over to it and sat in it quietly, crossing his arms across his chest. While the officials were talking, he was sizing everyone up. There was Luther, the fat guy, sitting next to some boy-band look-alike. A rather intimidating guy with many tattoos and piercings and brown hair clumped and spiked up. Next to him was a girl with purple hair and a few tattoos on her arms. A darker skinned guy looked laid back and cool. He had goggles with the British flag on them and one or two tattoos and tons of piercings.  
  
A blonde, Spanish-looking girl was sitting next to a bald, African-American woman. Both were whispering and giggling excitedly, with a girl who looked like the Spanish chick's sister and a seventies hippie rolling their eyes at their conversation.  
  
And a tall, blonde, surfer dude paid close attention to the officials, Kaori sitting next to him.  
  
"Mac? Are you with us?" the man asked, snapping Mac back to reality.  
  
"Uh, yeah. I was just . . . uh . . . thinking of the pressure ahead."  
  
"Well, anyway. As I was saying. In two months is the World Circuit. We will first go to Elysium Alps, then over to Snowdream and Tokyo Megaplex. Around to Aloha Ice Jam in Hawaii, then to Mesablanca in southern United States. Then we fly north to Alaska. There, we will do a showoff at the nearby Untracked. Any questions?"  
  
Everyone stared in awe. The boy-band looking kid raised one eyebrow. "Ah Rahzell . . . isn't that a lot for this year? We only five last year, including the showoff." he said in a rich, French accent that was rather hard to understand, taking off his Fendi sunglasses and leaning back in his chair.  
  
"Yes, JP. But this year, we were able to reserve more slopes and cities."  
  
"Alright with me. Means more money." said the girl with the purple hair. The two guys next to her laughed.  
  
Mac had the greatest look of confusion on his face. Because he didn't know anyone or their names, it was hard to keep up. Rahzell took notice, because he spoke up immediatly. "Oh Mac. Seems you haven't been introduced to everyone. Alright. Starting from my right is Luther, JP, Psymon, Zoe, Moby, Marisol, Seeiah, Eddie, Elise, Brodi, and Kaori."  
  
Everyone said hi, or waved, depending on their personality. Mac was too shy to say anything back, only bowing his head.  
  
"Well, now that everything's settled, I guess you should all head back to your rooms. And I'll see you tomorrow at the slopes," Everyone stood up and filed from the room. "Ahh . . . Moby, can I see you for a moment? And you too, Mac."  
  
Both stood at the podium where Rahzell smiled at them. "Look, if it's about that party that we had last week, I had nothing to do with it." Moby bit his lower lip nervously and spoke in an English accent.  
  
"There was a party last week?" Rahzell raised one eyebrow and pursed his lips. There was a strong rule against parties during the practice months. Somehow, though, they managed to sneak a get together in once in a while.  
  
"What? Did I say party? My bad, I meant something else. What did you want to say?"  
  
"Actually, Moby. Seeing as you're the only person without a roommate, I thought maybe you'd let Mac be your roomie."  
  
Moby looked down at Mac, who was staring around the room but still listening. He turned back to the official. "Look, I can't. I mean, this little guy? Heck no, mate." he stepped back in disgust.  
  
" I'd stick him with someone else. But JP is paying good money to keep his room down to two people and Psymon, Eddie and Brodi have enough trouble with just the three of them. We've tried to follow your wishes, but we're at a loss. If you don't take this, you'll sleep in the hallway."  
  
"Fine by me." Moby agreed, his arms crossed triumphantly.  
  
"In nothing but your birthday suit."  
  
He widened his eyes. "You've gotta be kidding! You can't do that! That's blackmail!"  
  
"No, son. It's called 'getting-my-way'. Now what's your answer?" he leered.  
  
"Rahzell . . . I hate you. Blackmailin' me . . . you've gotta be kidding."  
  
"Mac?" Rahzell called. "Moby will help you move in. You're rooming with him. Have any problems or questions, call me." he explained while leaving the room.  
  
Moby glared at Mac angrily. "Let's get one thing straight. I don't take orders from you, and I'm in charge. I don't like roommates."  
  
"I never said you had to like me. Now help me get this stuff upstairs." Mac muttered, handing a bag over to him. Moby took it and dropped it to the ground at it's weight.  
  
"Hey! There's some fragile stuff in there." Mac exclaimed.  
  
"Dang, boy! What do ya keep in here? Bricks?" Moby grunted.  
  
"Got alotta my board stuff in there. And a few pictures. That's all."  
  
"Pictures of what? Your stupid family?" He tried putting Mac down.  
  
"Something like that." he whispered, shifting his bag over to his other shoulder.  
  
Author's Note: Hey, so, how was it? Well . . . uh . . . I'll try and get another chapter up by Tuesday. But, school starts Wednesday and I'm gonna have less time doing this. But I'll still try. Review now! Ciao! 


	4. The Picture Perfect Plan

Moby waddled with the bag over his shoulder to the nearby elevator and pressed the up button, waiting impatiently. "What do you mean 'something like that'?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, just . . . nothing. I don't wanna talk about it," The elevator doors opened and both stepped inside. Moby reached out to touch the number four when Mac stopped him. "Wait!! I wanna press the button! My parents always let me press the button. It's special!"  
  
"You bloody moron. Fine, you can press the button." he mimicked in an annoyingly high-pitched voice. Mac smiled and pushed the number four. What a moron. And I hafta room with him? What was Rahzell thinking? This git is too annoying for my tastes.  
  
When they reached the floor, they walked to room number 418. Moby dropped the bag and reached into his back pocket for the card key. He inserted it into the slot and swung the door open. Mac picked up his stuff and walked inside.  
  
The room was enormous. As you stepped inside, you could see a big screen TV in the corner with two sofas opposite of it. A PS2 was already hooked up to it and was sitting on the coffee table. A bar separated the current room from the kitchen which had a nice stove and a really small fridge. Across from the kitchen was the bathroom. In the back of the hotel room, behind the kitchen, was the bedroom with two queen beds and a spacious closet. And a balcony overlooked the pool and tennis court.  
  
Mac was at awe. "We're actually going to stay here?!" he squealed.  
  
"It's nothing really. My bedroom back in England is bigger than this. But that's just me." he walked to the Playstation and turned on the game 'Tomb Raider'. Moby was completely absorbed into the game, he completely forgot that Mac was even in the room.  
  
"Yeah. I'll be setting up my half of the room." and snuck into the bedroom. He set his bags onto his bed and opened them. First, he put his clothes into the drawers that weren't already occupied and hung them in the closet. Then he set his boards under the bed along with the accessories.  
  
When he was all finished, he took out a worn picture of what looked like a relatively happy family. The dad holding the mom by the waist and the little boy sitting in the front of them Indian style and smiling like a small kid normally would.  
  
He placed it under his pillow so Moby wouldn't find it and snatched the nearest key. "Moby, I'm going out for a while. I've already got a key, so don't worry about me, alright bro?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Just get lost." he fumbled with the controls and threw it down, cursing. "Stupid game! I can never get passed that part! Why'd I bring it along anyway?" exclaimed Moby as he walked into his room. He reached under Mac's pillow for his pack of cigarettes that he kept stashed all the time. Instead his fingers touched a rather glossy piece of paper. He pulled it out and found the picture that Mac had his not long ago. A smirk came across his lips. The perfect way to get Mac away was in his hands. Carefully, he placed it back under the pillow and proceeded to finding his cigarettes.  
  
  
  
Mac strolled down the hallway, always on the lookout for someone whom might actually be interested in talking to him. The few people who might actually be interested in talking to him, really. Just by looking at a few of those boarders in that short amount of time, he knew just whom he might click with and not.  
  
His thoughts switched over to the glares he got from everyone while he was in the room. He knew that Moby hadn't liked him from the start. So he wasn't all too surprised with his attitude towards himself. But why he was acting like so was beyond reason.  
  
With his head down, he accidentaly crashed into someone ahead of him. He snatched his head up and apologized, trying to catch some papers that were fluttering from the air to the ground. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean t-."  
  
"It's ok. Nothing's damaged. Just my papers are all over the place now." said the person. Mac turned speechless. It was Kaori.  
  
"Still, I'm sorry and all . . . here. Lemme help you out." and knelt down to help her pick them up. He looked at one and wondered what it could be. "What's this? You writing a letter to someone?"  
  
"Oh, no! No, actually, it's my schoolwork. I'm not so good at writing in the English language, so I prefer to write in Japanese. Kind of confusing to everyone else who looks at it, but I'm still learning." explained Kaori.  
  
"Really? What grade are you in? I'm in my Sophmore year."  
  
"Junior. Getting ready to go into Senior."  
  
"That's cool. I mean, I'll bet you're ready to get out of school and all. What, with just one more year."  
  
"I guess. But I still have to go to college. And that means I'll hafta let go of snowboarding when I do." she sighed, hugging the papers to her chest and sticking her lower lip out sadly.  
  
"What do you wanna do afterwards?"  
  
"Oh, I dunno. Probably something medical. Or fashion. I've been trying to make some fashions lately."  
  
"Do you have any on you right now that I can see?" Mac asked.  
  
Kaori giggled, covering her mouth, embarrassed. "I can't believe you. No one has really asked to see my art before. Actually, all of my drawings are in my room. Maybe later you can come by and steal a look at them." she shrugged.  
  
"Aight, babe. Gimme your room number and I'll be by later." he coaxed her.  
  
She rolled her eyes and smirked. Taking out a pen from her backpack, she wrote the number 422 on his arm big and bubbly. "If Elise answers, don't worry. She's my roomie." Kaori began to play with her pigtails as she spoke.  
  
"If . . . if you're not busy during then, would you like to talk for a while? Ya know, get me acquainted with everything. But if you're busy I mean I don't mind leaving you-."  
  
She held a hand up and closed her eyes. "No, tonight is fine. Come pick me up at nine. I'll see you then." she walked by without looking back at him. Mac watched her turn the corner and touched his arm where her number was, smiling goofily.  
  
Mac heard a few of the boarders approaching his way and searched for a hiding spot. He jumped behind a plant and peeked through its leaves (Think James Bond). He recognized Marisol, Elise, Zoe, Seeiah, and JP all talking and arguing. JP and Zoe, he took notice, were as far apart as they could get from each other. And Elise was the same with Marisol. He guessed they must be enemies or something. But at the sound of his name, he paid closer attention to their conversation.  
  
"Hey, what do you guys think of the new kid, Mac?" Zoe proposed as she started to walk backwards and facing everyone else. "He looks like a brat. I mean, did you see how he sat and looked at us? I mean, could anyone not see how stuck up he was?"  
  
"That wee child? Feh, what a waste of my time." said JP, following his comment with something in French. He shoved his hands in his pockets of his Mandarin outfit and continued to mutter to himself still in French.  
  
"And I heard Moby has to room with him." Elise sneered at his misfortune.  
  
"Rahzell said he's one of the best boarders the SSX has. Imagine. A newbie, better than us? Es stupido y loco. Nosotros muy bueno."  
  
Seeiah shook her head. "Honey, please. Speak English." she requested.  
  
Marisol blushed. "Err . . . I meant. It's stupid and crazy. We're much better." she corrected herself.  
  
"I have nothing to worry about. That child is nothing but a pest." JP tried to get his word in again, but was ignored.  
  
"I say we have our own little meeting and decide what to do with that punk. Who does he think he is?" Zoe stopped and ran her hand through her hair, turned so she was walking correctly and continued on.  
  
Moby ran up to all of them, smiling. "Hey mates. Ugh, hey pretty boy. Still trying out for that new boy band in town?" he gritted his teeth in disgust at the sight of JP.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" he started towards him when Marisol pulled him back.  
  
"Moby, we're just talking about sweet revenge against that Mac kid. Secret get together tonight at . . . uh . . . well . . . let's meet at the game room downstairs. Don't let word get to him." Elise touched Moby on the arm and walked past him.  
  
"C'mon, hun. We're going to the casino and gambling like there's no tomorrow." Zoe linked arms with Moby and dragged him on. Seeiah followed behind with Marisol still clutching JP and holding him back.  
  
Mac reappeared from behind the bush, his eyes narrowed. What's the fairness in all this? Where do they get off, saying I'm a snob?! AND WHAT IS WITH THE REVENGE?!?!  
  
  
  
Mac was jumping up and down on his bed while Moby was running back and forth in between rooms looking for his lost key.  
  
"Whatcha doin'?" Mac shouted, sounding half breathless. Moby still didn't answer as he checked back in his nightstand for the millionth time. He knew exactly what Moby was looking for and let him suffer. He held the key in his back pocket of his pants and waited for the perfect time to give it to him. "Are you looking for something?"  
  
"Is this your profession? Annoying the bloody hell out of everyone just for the amusement of it? Or is it a natural talent?"  
  
Mac stopped jumping and pretended to think out the answer. He began to jump again when he said, "A little bit of both. Why?"  
  
"Because it's working!"  
  
"Do you think I'm special?" he bellowed.  
  
He watched him bouncing up and down, getting sick within seconds. "Special? No. Special ed? Definitely."  
  
"Are you getting incredibly sick of watching me go up and down to the point where you wanna puke?" Mac tittered.  
  
"Well, yes, actually. Now, if you could please stop, I've gotta look for something that's very important to me!"  
  
Mac removed the card from his pocket and waved it in the air. "Is this what you want?" he teased.  
  
The Englishman whirled around to see the key. He stalked to the side of the bed where the kid was jumping up and down. "Mac, ol' friend. Give me that key, and no one'll get hurt." As hard as he tried, he couldn't grab the key from the boy's hand. An idea came to him and he lunged under Mac's pillow, retrieving the picture from under it. Mac screeched and dove for it also, too late.  
  
Moby stepped to the other side of the room and took a lighter out, lit it up and held the flame under it. "Give me the key, and you can have this picture back." he hissed eerily, the light illuminating every feature on his face, giving him an awfully creepy vibe.  
  
"How'd you find that?" Mac had stopped jumping now and was shaking violently.  
  
"Oh, you'd love to know, wouldn't you?"  
  
"HOW DID YOU FIND THAT!?"  
  
"None o' yo' business."  
  
"Moby, please. Give that back." he started to get down and inched his way towards him.  
  
"Give me the key, and one hundred pounds for your stupidity."  
  
"I don't have any English money on me."  
  
He held the flame even closer to the picture. "Well, boy. You'd better figure out something, because I won't stand here for long." 


	5. The New Friendship and Hate

Author's Note: Yeah, after this chapter, I'm sure it'll suck. I mean, the story. I'm at a loss, but I'm trying to make up for it. Anyways . . . hmmm . . . oh yeah. Disclaimers. I don't own AOL, Sprite, yada yada yada. You're smart people. I'm sure you know what I don't own. ^_^ Don't take that offensively. And for those who figured it out, no I have never played the first SSX, and I wish I did. It sounds very interesting, but sadly, I don't have it. *sob sob* But, yeah, if you say so. This can be the alternate universe to SSX. Ok, gotta stop this note, because I gotta get to bed. I'm so tired and I've gotta get up at 5 tomorrow for school. -_-' Ciao!  
  
The fire reflected off of Mac's eyes. Moby knew he'd hit a weak spot. The standoff was very intense. So strong, in fact, that they didn't even notice Zoe walking in. "Moby? What the heck are you doing?" she raised her eyebrows. She walked over to him and took the picture from his hand, staring at it.  
  
"The kid 'ere had it comin'. No surprise to me." he grumbled.  
  
Mac, still shaking, jerked the photo from Zoe's hands. "Don't touch it!"  
  
"Didn't mean to strike a nerve. Sheesh. C'mon, babe. Everyone's waiting downstairs already. Oh, and uh, by the way. I found your key. It was down in the casino. I meant to give it to you earlier, but I was busy." she handed the key to him and lead him out the door, whispering all the while.  
  
When he heard the door shut, Mac took a pillow and screamed as loud as he could into it, still clutching the photo in his fist.  
  
He threw the pillow at a nearby lamp, knocking it over but not breaking it. He stood up and for a while, all Mac could do was pace the hotel room. From one room to the next, he rambled on about anything that popped into his mind.  
  
"And then they'll do something awful. Yes, awful. On the track, make a fool out of me. I don't know how I know, all I know is that it's a certainty. Why am I talking to myself? I dunno, because I feel like it. I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO!" A knock at the door answered his prayers. "SOMEONE TO TALK TO!" he rejoiced and rushed to the door. When he opened it, he saw Kaori, standing with her hands behind her back.  
  
"Konnichi-wa Mac." she greeted.  
  
He was puzzled. Wasn't she supposed to be plotting revenge against me? "Uh, care to come in? Everyone's out right now."  
  
The Japanese girl walked inside and looked around the room. Mac shut the door and locked it, praying it would be a while until Moby returned.  
  
"Mac, it's 9:30. I got worried. You said you would come over."  
  
"Little argument. Say, why aren't you down at the game room with everyone else?" he snapped bitterly at her.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about. Why would I be in the game room? I said I'd meet you."  
  
"Oh, so you're not going to plot revenge? Huh? Not going to try and mock me, like everyone else will. Or are you a spy for them, finding my weakness? Well, go on. Spill it. I can handle the pain."  
  
Kaori looked hurt. "Mac, I don't know what you mean. What revenge?"  
  
"You know, I'm not stupid. I may be the youngest here, but I'm not exactly the world's stupidest teen out there. I know what you're trying to pull."  
  
"Maybe it's a bad time for me to come over. I still have to study. I have a test coming up." she excused before unlocking the door and walking away. Mac reached for the door and opened it up, watching her walk away sadly. He closed it softly and leaned against it, sliding down the surface and hugging his knees to his chest, his chin resting upon his knees.  
  
  
  
Moby, Zoe, JP, Luther, Psymon, Seeiah, Marisol, Eddie, and Elise were all gathered around a huge poker table, cards in hand and chips in the middle of the table. Marisol looked at her cards one last time and put them face down. "I fold. Stupid game, never got the hang of it anyways." Luther and Eddie also folded. Psymon leaned over and glanced over Elise's shoulder at her cards. She had an ace, five, nine, ten and king. So far, so good.  
  
"Alright, Royal Flush for the Royal Payne. I win!" Zoe cheered. Psymon's jaw dropped and he looked down at his cards. All he had were a straight in clubs.  
  
"Girl, you've got this game bugged or something." Seeiah tossed her cards down and leaned backwards into her chair.  
  
"Didn't we come here to do some revenge plotting?" Luther demanded.  
  
"Before we go on, where's Brodi and Kaori?" JP wondered aloud as he took of his Fendi designer sunglasses and took another sip of his strawberry daiquiri, wiping his mouth with a nearby napkin.  
  
"Nah, Kaori has studies tonight and Brodi . . . well . . . you know. Probably in his meditating state right about now." yawned Elise.  
  
Psymon leaned on the palm of his hand. "Did you even tell them about this? I mean, not like I care and all. That Kaori girl is such a brat. And don't get me started on Brodi. The whole spiritual thing freaks me out."  
  
"No, I didn't bother to tell Kaori because if I'm not mistaken, she's sort of wanting to become friends with him. So I figured I'd keep it between us nine."  
  
"Ok, ok! Forget about them, I wanna get rid of this kid!" Moby voiced.  
  
Zoe snorted. "Yeah, the way he was all shaken when I came to pick you up. You must have really gotten to him."  
  
Everyone's eyes were directed to Moby. "What'd you do to him that we didn't get to be a part of?" Eddie said.  
  
"He wouldn't give me the key and wouldn't calm down, so I threatened to burn this stupid picture of his. Dunno what it was, just two adults with a little kid. Didn't get to look at it that well." he shrugged.  
  
"You have a lighter, and you didn't tell me?!" Psymon crowed, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "Man, mine ran out a long time ago and I've been dying for a smoke now! Gimme!" he jumped across the table and reached out for Moby who was already out of his seat and backed against the wall.  
  
"PSYMON! Down! Down boy!" Luther beckoned. Zoe took Psymon by the collar and set him back in his seat. Hesitantly, Moby sat back in his own chair and glared daggers at Psymon who was laughing maniacally.  
  
"So, anyone have a plan?" JP requested.  
  
"That photo of his seemed really special to him. Something with that?" Elise took another drink of her Coors Light and rolled a poker chip in her hand.  
  
"I was thinking . . ." Seeiah faded off when she saw none other than Mac walking toward the nearby game, 'Dance Dance Revolution' and put four quarters into it. Everyone followed her gaze and either gasped or glowered.  
  
"What's he doing here? I thought he might still be up in the room or something."  
  
The group watched as he matched every arrow up and with great speed and agility that no one else could possible master. When the game was done, he skimmed behind his shoulder and eyed them for quite some time before sauntering off.  
  
"Guys, why do I suddenly feel guilty about this whole thing?" Eddie muttered. No one could possibly answer, because they knew what he felt too. And they knew that Mac was on to what they were doing.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Mac continued to saunter about the hotel. He felt a deep pang in his chest and flashes of everybody's face glaring at him, sneering at him. It hurt him that they would be so cruel to do something like so.  
  
His thoughts were constantly switching. From Kyle, to Kaori, to everyone, back to his picture. He lifted his head slightly and saw a computer unoccupied in the lounge. Sighing, he sat down and pulled the keyboard closer. He clicked on the America Online icon and went to the 'guest' button. When it prompted him to enter his screen name and password, he typed in 'DJSk8r17' and his password.  
  
"Welcome! You've got mail!" the freaky AOL voice announced cheerily. Mac moved his mouse to the mailbox and opened it. Inside were a few e-mails from his friends. One from his ex-girlfriend, Myrah, congratulating him on joining the SSX. Another was from an old aquaintence from the club, just saying hi. On down the list went. He stopped scrolling when he saw Kyle's e- mail. Suddenly he felt homesick.  
  
He double-clicked it and read it over and over again. Yo Mac! Hey, I know it's early and all to actually say if you like it up there or not, but I'm bored and decided to see how you do like it. I heard about the whole world circuit and everything. Too bad you can't work here. But, hey. Is Marisol really as cute as she is on TV? What about Moby? I always heard he was a little rude and all. Can't always believe what they say though, huh? Anyways, just wanted to say hi. I don't even know if you'll get this message. If you do, though, please write back. And since school starts in three days, I'll have a whole lot to tell you. See ya homie.  
  
Mac rested his hands on the keyboard pad and sighed, thinking of what to write. While nothing came to him, the letter still seemed to echo inside his head. He finally figured out something. Hey Kyle. Can't talk long, but here's the scoop right now. Moby is a pain. I'm rooming with him, and he thinks he owns everything. But not to worry. I mean, I can take him in no time. And I've got school tomorrow, before practice. It starts at five, so getting everything done shouldn't be a problem. When I say that it starts at five, I mean practice, not my schooling.  
  
Mac almost pressed the send button when he remembered what Kyle had asked about Marisol. Yeah, Marisol's hot and all, but she's not exactly what you think she is. He added.  
  
"So, what's all this you've written?" a deep, calm voice asked. Mac jumped and turned to see Brodi towering above him, arms crossed and eyes boring into his.  
  
"Oh, uh. Just a letter to my friend. That's all. Nothing else." he played with his fingers nervously as if Brodi were to pounce on him at any given moment.  
  
"Relax, bro. Just a question. But I did happen to read what you're writing about Moby. If I were you, I'd stay far away from him. He's nothing but trouble if you're on his bad side. You see, Zoe and him are like this," Brodi crossed his middle and index finger to demonstrate what he was talking about. "And if Moby knows how much you hate him, not only will you have to worry about him, but Zoe as well. I know you don't want to worry about that."  
  
"No, not really. Who else should I worry about?"  
  
"Oh, just about everyone. JP is rude and pretty full of himself. He's very rich so he thinks he can boss people around. And Luther, his right hand man, is a force to be reckoned with. Psymon is weird. He talks to his tattoo and gets ticked easily. And, don't worry about everyone. When I said, though, just about everyone is who you should be worried about, I said it because everyone has their bad days. But also, if you think about it, somehow, one person can affect another person's thinking. Don't let it get to you though."  
  
Mac signed off and stood up. "What about the people who are nice?"  
  
Brodi smiled. "If we're going to talk like this, why don't we go and get something to drink also. I'll buy." he offered. Mac grinned widely, showing his teeth. They both walked to a nearby bar and sat. Brodi ordered a Piña Colada smoothie while Mac got a Sprite.  
  
"Well, what about the people who are nice? Any of them here?"  
  
"Actually, yes there is. Eddie is very funny. He's pretty new, besides you. He's my best friend. And, like you said, Marisol is nice. Her friend Seeiah is a sweetheart. Basically, anyone whom I didn't name when you asked who you should worry about is nice. Zoe is the exception. She's real."  
  
Mac took his finger and traced around the top of the can. "What about Kaori? Is she nice, or is she a fake?"  
  
Brodi seemed caught off guard by his question. "Whatdiya mean? Kaori?"  
  
"Well, yeah. She seems fake to me. Always so happy. At least, every time I see her."  
  
"She's naturally happy. But she's not fake. Not at all. Kaori has got to be the nicest, most down-to-earth girl here in the SSX. I've never met anyone so polite or so kind."  
  
Mac continued to trace the can top. "How can you trust these people? I mean, how do you know if they're going to come back at you and try to get you out of the SSX?"  
  
Brodi shrugged. "I don't. But you won't get anywhere if you don't trust anyone."  
  
"But, what if . . . what if they hate you because you're the youngest here? And because Rahzell favors you for a split second?"  
  
"Well then, little bro, I don't know what to tell you. Try explaining to them. They may understand."  
  
"I doubt it. Seems hard enough trying to fit in." he confided.  
  
The surfer took one last sip of his smoothie and stood up. "Mac, life isn't easy. People will always be intimidated and try to intimidate. You've gotta be the one to stand up and stop it. C'mon, I'll walk you back to your room." he offered.  
  
Mac still sat hunched over his soda. "No thanks. I think I'll stay here for a while. I just wanna get some things registered in my head and everything."  
  
"Alright. I'll catch ya later. Tomorrow at the slopes. After your schooling, right?"  
  
Mac nodded his agreement and heard Brodi's footsteps fade away before he looked up at all. Although he got some valuable information, one thing remained. He'd have to try to make amend before anything got worse. 


	6. Time To Start!

Author's Note: I'M BACK!! Hey everybody! How ya been? Wow! It's been so long! School's been a hassle for me, and since I was just kicked from the swim team and all, well, I've gotten some time to finish the story. So, from here on out, you're getting the rest of 'Foolish'! I'm sick of going through disclaimers, but I'll be sure, when I get the time, to go through this story and make a credits page. Ya get it? Ok, well, laterz!  
  
~*~*~  
  
The alarm clock went off early that morning. Mac rolled over to turn it off and ended up falling out of his bed, making a loud 'thump' noise and hurting the back of his head. When he stood up, he heard the sound of the shower on and figured Moby had a built-in alarm system in his body.  
  
He walked out into the big room and turned the TV on and flipped through numerous channels. He stopped on Nickelodeon at the sight of Spongebob Squarepants. Even though it wasn't his favorite show, Mac would occasionally stop and watch it if nothing better was on at the time.  
  
A nearby phone rang and forced Mac to get up and get it. When he picked it up, he groggily muttered, "Hello?"  
  
"Mac, you're late! You're supposed to be in the boardroom right now getting ready for your schooling. Where are you? Did you just get up?" Rahzell bickered on the other end. He took a glimpse at the microwave clock, reading the time. It was 9:00 am. School was supposed to start at eight.  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to. I'll be down in a few minutes." and hung up without saying goodbye. He rushed to the door and pounded on it furiously. "Moby! Open up, I'm late for my schooling!! OPEN UP!!" he proceeded to hit the door one more time, but it flew open, and instead his hand smacked Moby in the shoulder.  
  
"What the heck was that for?! You bloody idiot!" Moby readjusted the towel around his waist and narrowed his eyes. His cornrows were still dripping wet and were a little frizzy. Mac pushed his way inside and shoved his roommate out.  
  
"Sorry. Gotta take a shower. No time to stop." he said hastily, slamming the door in the Englishman's face.  
  
"You'd better let me back in! I'm not done yet! I've still gotta shave and brush my teeth!"  
  
Mac threw a razor and a toothbrush with toothpaste out the door, it landing beside Moby's feet. He took the items and cursed Mac under his breath before walking into the kitchen and finishing cleaning himself.  
  
While he was doing so, Mac quickly turned the water on and jumped in, not caring that it was three million degrees below zero. He washed up and, in no time, got out and ran out of the bathroom to his closet without a towel. Moby screamed loudly. "Ahhh!!! I'm blinded! I just saw thing's I'm not supposed to see on another guy! Gah! Nightmares! THE NIGHTMARES ARE COMING!"  
  
Mac chose out the first thing he laid his eyes on. A black t-shirt and cargo pants. He threw on a red plaid jacket and hoisted his backpack onto his shoulder. He ran to the kitchen, picked up an apple and ran out the door, leaving Moby still complaining about his recent sightings. "Oh the horror! The humanity! THE SICKNESS OF IT ALL!!"  
  
~*~*~  
  
Mac skidded to a halt outside the door, panting heavily. Rahzell came out into the hallway and looked at his wristwatch. "Wow, five minutes. Not bad. But next time I expect you to be here on time, ready to begin. If not, you will be cut from practice. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes sir." Mac muttered his reply and walked in. Kaori was already bent over her work, her head held up by her hand. She looked seriously stressed and that she needed a good nights sleep. Mac moved over towards her and pulled out a chair next to her. Kaori inched away from him, obviously angry.  
  
"Kaori, what's wrong? Why're you mad at me?" he whispered, Rahzell giving him a dirty look.  
  
"Go away. I'm trying to work." she hissed, waving him away. A tutor stepped over to Mac and handed him a packet of work. When he opened it, his head spun. Algebra problems and formulas scattered around the paper. He groaned and banged his head on the table multiple times.  
  
"Divide the first side with the second side to get your letter alone." Kaori's small voice advised.  
  
"I haven't done this in a while, so I'm a little lost."  
  
"I've noticed." she clipped. Mac felt his face turn hot. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.  
  
"You know this stuff?"  
  
She held up her paper, showing that she was well beyond knowing it. She lived it. "I'm in gifted honors, if that's what you mean. But, when was the last time you did this? Shouldn't you have learned this in school already?"  
  
Mac turned away and picked up a nearby pencil and began putting down numbers in no particular order. His handwriting was very neat for someone of his personality and attitude. Kaori was looking over once in a while at his work. She played with her pigtails and continued to work.  
  
At about three, both were dismissed to the practice course where everyone was already. Kaori carried with her the board with her as an anime character on the bottom. Mac had his uber board that he won at a recent snowboard contest. Both also carried a duffel bag full of stuff for their board as well as their own little first aid kit.  
  
The whole trek was very uncomfortable and silent. Kaori was still angry at Mac and the way he snapped at her that night, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to say so.  
  
"Kay, tell me what's wrong. I mean, I'm sorry, and I have good reason to have been mad at you yesterday. But please, what can I do to make it up to you?"  
  
"You can start by leaving me alone and getting the heck away from me." she swished, walking ahead. Mac chased after her and pulled her backwards, causing her to fall over and taking him with her.  
  
She stared into his olive colored eyes and stood up hastily in disgust, narrowing her Japanese eyes and storming off. Mac furiously made a snowball and flung it at her back, landing it square center. She yelped and dropped her board in surprise. When she whirled around, she saw Mac sitting, sprawled, in the snow, smiling happily.  
  
Kaori retaliated by throwing her own snowball at him, missing him barely. It went back and forth like so, Mac usually always hitting her, Kaori normally missed. The whole scene helped to break the ice a little and Kaori softened up to Mac and vice versa. By the end of the whole ordeal, they were on the ground, gasping for air and laughing.  
  
Kaori stood up, picking her board into her hands and helping Mac up. "Mac, you are nice. But if you think that this is making up for your rudeness last night, you're wrong." She frowned and steadied him before walking off.  
  
When they made it up to the top, everyone stared at them while waxing their board. Kaori joined Brodi and they started to laugh before going to a more private location to talk more. Mac grimaced when he realized he was still standing alone. By now everyone had gone back to like they had before, but Moby was still eyeing him with scorn.  
  
One SSX Official accompanied them and smiled. "Alright, alright! Listen up! This is the order you will all be in. The following people will start in race one. From lane one, JP Arsenault. Two will be Elise Riggs. Psymon Stark will be in lane three. Moby Jones will be in lane four. In five will be Zoe Payne and number six will be Brodi Ford. In race two, Eddie Wachowski will be lane one. Lane two will be Kaori Nishidake. Mac Fraser will be lane three and four will be Seeiah Owens. Next to her will be Luther Grady and finally Marisol Diez Delgado. Now, everyone from race one please get into positions so we can begin practicing."  
  
Mac hoisted his leg up onto the nearby bench and started to stretch out. He put his head to his knee and held it there for quite some time, wincing a tad bit. When he finished, he switched over to his left leg.  
  
While he did so, he reached over to his bag and took out his Walkman, setting the headphones snugly on his ears and pressed the play button. The sounds of his Blink-182 CD filled his head and he began to relax slightly.  
  
Before he knew it, he was up in the practice run. He strapped in his feet and slid back and forth on instinct. Beside him was Seeiah who was arguing with Luther over something, probably something stupid and childish.  
  
"On your mark . . ." the announcer came over the speakers. Everyone crouched down and got ready to go.  
  
"Get set . . . go!"  
  
The gates opened and the boarders bounded down the slope at speeds topping eighty miles per hour. The wind and falling snow whipped past Mac's ears, nipping at his cheeks and making them sting slightly. Of course, adrenaline caused him not to even feel it.  
  
The course was short and it didn't take long for them to finish. Maybe a minute or two. Not long. When Mac reached the end, though, he was breathless and sweating under his beanie, despite the cold, December air.  
  
Mac pulled his board off of his feet and exhaled slightly, leaving a small puff cloud hovering in front of him and it lifted upwards and dissipated. He slightly jumped when someone came up behind him.  
  
"Mac, hey bro." Brodi greeted. Mac shrugged and smiled, showing not much was going on before Brodi even asked.  
  
"Just chillin' around. Ya know, the usual."  
  
"Yeah. I know how that goes. I heard that you were late this morning to class, or school, or whatever. Kaori told me."  
  
Mac's heart seemed to pound a little harder when he mentioned Kaori. His mouth became dry and for some reason he was at a loss for words.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Either I forgot to set my alarm last night, or Moby turned it off."  
  
"Ah, the many down sides to a roommate. I have two. And one isn't too much fun." Brodi tutted.  
  
"Get over it, Spirit Boy. You know I'm much more fun than newbie over there." a cynical voice cackled. Psymon.  
  
Mac rolled his eyes and waved him off. "Psy, I'm younger, quicker, more agile. . . I outnumber you in any which way there is to outnumber you."  
  
Psymon's hands were balled and his eyes bugged slightly. "I've probably been doing this much longer than you have. And don't call me Psy! Only Zoe's given permission to do so."  
  
"Psy got a third grade crush?" Mac chirped happily. He knew he was getting under the Canadian's skin and it pleased him. Psymon growled and stalked off. He joined with everyone else who were grouped together, talking about something. Once or twice on of them would break off and look to Brodi and Mac's direction, their hollow eyes boring into his. It scared him so.  
  
Brodi shook him on the shoulder violently. "Hey. We're all going to a nearby club tonight. It's right down the road. Usually we go there when we're here to visit. It's pretty nice. How'd you like to come along?"  
  
The young boy shuffled his feet in the snow, digging a shallow hole and revealing a small patch of wet dirt, dirtying his Doc Martins on the toe. "What about everyone else?" he muttered just loud enough for the two of them to hear.  
  
"Don't worry about them. Go and have a good time. Who cares about what others think about you? They're jealous of what you have. Use it to your advantage, friend."  
  
It made the tips of Mac's lips turn upwards. "Oh, is Kaori coming?" the question surprised even himself. He never even thought of asking the question. But now that he had, he was anxious of the answer.  
  
Brodi pondered it for a few seconds before replying. "Yes, I'm pretty sure that she is. Why?"  
  
"Oh, no reason." he recovered quickly, picking his board from the ground and shaking a few snowflakes from his sleeve.  
  
"Alright. Well, if I don't happen to go for some reason or another, have a good time. 


	7. You're a heartbreaker, dream maker . . .

There was a knock at the door of Mac and Moby's room. Moby walked over and answered it. In the doorway stood Zoe with Psymon linked in her arms. Moby tried his hardest to hide his displeasure, but it showed through easily. Zoe must have noticed also because she dropped his arm and played with the hem of her sleeve.  
  
"The little git found out about the club. He's coming along." Moby glowered as he clipped the cell phone to his pants and pulled his shirt over it. He checked one last time in the mirror how he looked, spraying one last spray of hair spray though his cornrows. When he turned to his company in the way, they're faces showed a look of confusion and a little weirded out. "What? Gotta look good for the girls."  
  
"Thought you might fancy Zoe. I mean, you talk about her all the time when you think I'm not listening." Mac's small voice came from the other end of the room as he spoke in a fake English accent, obviously to tease Moby. A tint of red flushed Moby's face and he avoided everyone's eyes, although he knew they weren't avoiding his.  
  
Mac brushed past Moby, snickering. He left the room, but before he did so, he turned serious and whispered into Zoe's ear something that Moby couldn't quite understand. She beamed as so did he, and he continued on to the room a few doors down.  
  
He went to Brodi's door and knocked. Again and again, each time no one answering. "He's in his meditating state, if it's Brodi you're looking for." Kaori informed. Mac whirled around to look down on her small being.  
  
"Ah . . . yeah. Actually . . . do you know when he'll be done?"  
  
"He'll make it to the club, if that's what you're wondering. Now c'mon. I wanna go now. We've gotta reserve seats for everyone." she smiled.  
  
"Which club are we going to?"  
  
"Club Lightning. I've heard they have some of the best DJ's."  
  
Mac's stomach lurched indefinitely. He hated that club, partly because their pay sucked. But also because of the bad memories it held.  
  
"Can't we go somewhere else? I mean, Club Lightning is so overrated. I've been to better." he tried convincing, almost pleading.  
  
Kaori grabbed his hand and dragged him down to the lobby and down the street. Since they were right outside town, as well as the club was, it wasn't as far of a walk as it was when Mac had to go from his house.  
  
They'll find out everything about me here. Everything about my past. I'll have to lie. Improvise. Whatever it takes, they can't know. I just hope Kyle won't be there. Or anyone else for that matter.  
  
Kaori let go of his hand and stared at him. His blank expression mystified her completely and she wondered what he had with this place to make him so hesitant to go inside. She took his hand in her small one and held it for some time. He snapped away from the neon lights to look into her eyes. Their gaze was sustained and, strangely, Mac both calmed down and also became even more nervous.  
  
Silently, she led him inside and, together, they sought out a table to reserve for the whole group of them when everyone arrived. It wasn't too difficult, only because everyone knew who they were and let them have whatever table they chose to sit at. They decided on one beside the dance floor and the bar. Everyone came at once, parting the crowd forcefully so they could meet the two who were already there. Mac glanced through the clan and tried to pick out Brodi. Unfortunately, he hadn't come, as he learned later on.  
  
They sat, all yelling above the jungle music. Most everyone had alcoholic drinks. Kaori and Mac were underage. Mac couldn't fully enjoy it all because of the paranoia that raced through his body. Everyone was always trying to conceal what they were saying, but once in a while, they wouldn't do such a great job at it and Mac would hear what they were saying.  
  
Kaori tugged at Mac's shirt and shouted into his ear in her heavy, Japanese accent. "Mac, you wanna go and dance right now?"  
  
He nodded and they left to the dance floor. He noticed, surprisingly, she was an excellent dancer, despite her modesty. Even though the group around them were having a great time, laughing and all that, Kaori and Mac were serious about it all. In fact, for the half hour they were dancing, not one of them cracked a smile.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Zoe was constantly watching Moby, Mac's words running through her head hurriedly. When Moby would catch her eye, she'd avert it rather quickly. She finally had enough of being caught and stood up. "I'm going to dance with some hottie on the floor. Any you wanna accompany me?"  
  
Marisol, Seeiah, JP, and Eddie followed her out. Elise joined them, reluctantly, only because Eddie was leaving. Psymon, Moby, and Luther remained. Luther would have gone, but JP still hadn't the time to teach him to dance just yet, and Psymon and Moby just weren't up to dancing at the moment.  
  
"Hey Moby, what's your deal? You always dance with Zoe." Luther pointed out, taking another puff of his cigarette and blowing a smoke ring behind his back.  
  
"I've been thinking of a way to get Mac to leave SSX and get us back to eleven instead of twelve."  
  
"So, what's your idea, English Boy?" Psymon asked. Moby shrugged and watched everyone, surprisingly, enjoying Mac's company. They were all laughing, or at least trying to get him to laugh, with them. He was still dancing with Kaori and trying to break free from the spell that bound them together.  
  
Luther observed what Moby was scrutinizing over and said nothing as did Psymon. Suddenly, a blonde teenage kid rushed over to them, his eyes wide. With him was a Puerto Rican girl, obviously his girlfriend, holding hands. "Are you guys the SSX boarders?" he said, giddily.  
  
All three responded with a low yes. Even though they got a lot of this, people wanting autographs and inside stories, it always seemed to be tiring, no matter how many times they've been asked.  
  
The Puerto Rican girl smiled and yelled into her boyfriend's ear. She left and he stayed. The three still watched him, waiting for some sort of word from his mouth, or anything. When nothing was said, Psymon took the initiative to talk. "Take a picture, it'll last longer. Or, if you've got something to say now, say it, or forever hold your peace."  
  
"Are you guys friends with my dawg, Mac?"  
  
Their eyes seemed to dim rapidly at his name. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"My name's Kyle, and we've been friends for quite some time. Just figured, ya know. Maybe you guys knew him."  
  
Oh yeah, we know him. Too bad he doesn't know who exactly who we are. Who he's dealing with. Moby whispered to himself inside his head. Suddenly, a question came to him and he knew the kid in front of him was just the person to ask. "Hey, do you know of a picture he has of a young boy and two adults? I think it's in front of a beach. Or a park."  
  
Kyle lowered his gaze, and then raised it again. "His parents died in an accident two years ago. They were arguing, people say. The car skidded off the road and into the pole a few blocks down. He was working here when it happened."  
  
"Woah. Who? Who's parents?" Luther stopped. He dropped the cigarette on the ground, smashing it with the toe of his show.  
  
"Mac's parents were killed two years ago when he was fourteen. He's been living alone since. Don't know how he was able to pull it off, living alone, without any Government man chasing after him."  
  
The three looked at each other, smirking. Psymon rested his head on the knuckles of his fist. After getting more information from him, they thanked him, Kyle left and they had the perfect plan forming in their heads. "Hey, if I'm not mistaken, hasn't Mac said once or twice his parents were famous, or something like that?"  
  
"Yeah, and he lived in a nice house? In some other city?"  
  
"Basically, he deceived us, saying he had the life he wished he had."  
  
"And now, everyone's liking him because he's someone else."  
  
Moby drummed his fingers on the table. "Mates, I think our little friend should learn what happens when you lie."  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Yeah, you mean you've never heard of them? Oh man, my parents have been in a few movies, on talk shows, the radio. It was so awesome!" Mac hollered. He flung his hands into the air and smiled. "Of course, I helped out quite a bit. I worked at the best club in the neighboring city. I was a DJ there." "That is so cool!" everyone chorused at different times. Now that Mac had gotten to know who they really were, they weren't so bad. Although, as Brodi mentioned, JP was a little snob and Marisol was quite fun to be around.  
  
They all danced together, and at one point, JP, Eddie and Mac had a break dance showoff. Although it was close, Eddie won, with JP close behind. Afterwards, they went back to dancing again and soaking up the fun. Still, Mac couldn't fully enjoy it all. Now that he'd lied about everything from the start, he felt . . . well . . . guilty, to put it bluntly. And now that he'd made so many friends out of whom used to be his enemies, he couldn't tell them the truth or he'd go back to being an outsider. The only person he could fully trust was Brodi, and he wasn't here.  
  
But the one other person he could tell was right in front of him. He motioned to Kaori to come with him outside. Nodding, she followed him.  
  
When he opened the door, a cool blast with snowflakes along with it smacked them both in the face. Because they were in the club for so long, it was very quiet and cold.  
  
"Mac, is there something wrong? What are we doing out here?" she asked. She pulled her red jacket close to her chest and breathed out little puffs of air. Mac just continued to walk on, just as silent as before. He kicked up snow and left a small trail as he went. Both walked down an ally between two buildings and stopped. Kaori saw he was having a hard time trying to explain what he had to.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he began the confession. "Kaori, I'm not who you think I am. I'm not rich and famous. I never had a huge mansion like I said, nor parents who spoiled me rotten, although I'm sure they tried. I am a DJ, but at Club Lightning, which explains why I didn't want to go in. I dropped out of school not too long ago because I couldn't afford it."  
  
"You couldn't afford it?"  
  
"I paid my own way through Private School but had to drop out because I couldn't afford it. My parents died two years ago, so I was living on my own. They . . . oh gosh. I hate talking about this." his voice wavered as he spoke. Kaori stalked towards him, still listening intently. Mac continued. "They died in a car accident while I was working. Surprise surprise. From what I've heard, rumor has it they were arguing about me. They always did. I never had a good relationship with my parents. And being at school never helped out. Everyone was so scared to be around me. All my friends left me and my teachers pitied me. I didn't want that, and I don't want it now. That's why I lied. I know I've only known you for two days now, but I had to find a way to get you all to like me without you being weird around me, or hating me. Whichever came first." He pulled his hand away and started to walk off.  
  
She pulled him back and forced him to face her by embracing his face with her slender hands. When he looked at her, he saw she, too, had tears in her eyes. "Mac, you don't have to lie. Who you are won't change opinions. And believe me, I learned that when I first started. I felt like I had to prove myself. There are other people here who can relate to you. Take JP. He never got close to his parents. Since they're big corporate business people, they never make time to visit him. To call him. Nothing. Frankly, if you wish to say. JP's parents despise him."  
  
"It's not the same. He has parents. He can call them anytime and say hi. Tell them that he loves them. Whatever. I can't do that. Kaori. My parents are dead! I'll never be able to do any of that. Besides, JP I'm sure doesn't care about it."  
  
"You'd be surprised. He's probably got the most fragile ego this side of the world has seen."  
  
"But that's not my point! My point is, he can always call them. I can't do that." his throat was slowly constricting and tears pricked at his eyes. He didn't want to cry. He'd already done that twice, and his dad always said it was a sign of weakness.  
  
"If you have to, you are allowed to cry. It's not against the rules." she whispered. Mac shook his head, denying the obvious. Nonetheless, he was held in her arms and they both cried into each others shoulders (actually, in Kaori's case, she cried into his chest). Passerby's paused to see what was going on, but left almost immediately. But one person was curious and stayed hidden farther away in between crowds. His heart started to pound rapidly.  
  
When they both calmed down, they retracted from each other's grasp. Mac pulled his goggles and wiped his eyes and then pulled them back over. Kaori didn't, though. Every once in a while, a single tear would follow the drying trail that had formed from the other tears. "Kaori, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to lie to you."  
  
Kaori seemed to think his words over for a moment. She was starting to shiver from the lack of warmth she was getting. Nonetheless, she nodded and looked at him carefully, almost studying what he was thinking.  
  
Mac moved closer to her and leaned his forehead against the top of her head, running a single finger down her cheek. And, out of the blue, he lifted her head up and brushed his lips against hers. Once, twice, and then they remained. Nothing seemed to matter to them in the state they were in.  
  
At the sight of the two, Brodi kept his temper in check. Heartbroken, he turned and sullenly walked back to the hotel. 


	8. Fight!

The gang crowded back into the hotel lobby, cheering and causing a whole riot. Moby and Psymon were both carrying Zoe by Psymon holding her arms and Moby holding her legs. Eddie was giving Elise a piggy-back ride and JP was smashed between Marisol and Seeiah, both having their arms linked into his. Luther was falling behind, but not as far as Kaori and Mac who's fingers were laced into each other, Kaori's head resting against his arm. She was practically falling asleep in his arms.  
  
Moby gently put Zoe's feet down and pressed the button to go upstairs. At this point, the people that were in the lobby were staring at them with blank expressions painted upon their face. Except Brodi, who sat, flipping the channels on the TV, obviously not paying attention to whatever was on.  
  
"I . . . uh . . . I'll be right up. Just saw someone I knew. I mean, know." Moby corrected himself, half-drunk. He stumbled over his own feet and sat across from Brodi. He could see that he wasn't in the move to talk. But, still, he persisted. "Hey, Brodi. What's wrong?"  
  
He didn't look up, still flipping through stations. He remained on HBO for about three seconds and proceeded some more. Moby's face turned to one of concern. Brodi never acted like this. He was the optimist of them.  
  
Still not getting any response, Moby sighed and walked off. He followed his routine of getting on the elevator, going to his floor, and going to his room. When he opened the door, there was nothing but silence, except for the soft beat of a techno song from the speakers of the radio in their bedroom. It came to an abrupt stop and Mac came, almost floating, out into the main room. He fell backwards onto the couch and held his head up with his hands.  
  
"Have you ever had such a perfect night?" he muttered to himself, but in a way, talking to the Englishman who was standing, puzzled.  
  
"How many drinks did you have?" he took off his gloves and tossed them behind him.  
  
"I just kissed the best girl I could have ever in a lifetime."  
  
"You didn't answer my question! What's going on?"  
  
Mac seemed to snap from his trance and sat up quickly, rage reflecting from his eyes. "Just because you're my roommate, doesn't mean you're going to find every detail of my life. I know you're dying to put it to good use too."  
  
Moby stumbled back a little, shocked. "I don't know what you mean. What are you talking about, mate?" he faked.  
  
Mac jumped up from the couch and held a single finger to Moby's face. "Just because I'm younger and better than you, doesn't make me exactly stupid. I know what you're up to and I know you hate me. So, let's just stay away from each other for the rest of the time here, and we'll be able to enjoy it. Got me?" the young boy seethed. Moby was at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing a few times to find just the words he needed to get back at him. Nothing formed and Mac turned away.  
  
For a moment, Moby almost felt sorry for the lad. He was, after all, younger than him by two to three years, and Mac was quite alright for a newbie. But that still didn't change what he had in mind. When he looked at Mac again, he saw the same goofy look that he saw when he first walked in the room. Suddenly, it hit him. Brodi being all upset; Mac being so happy, as well as Kaori. Moby reached behind him and dashed downstairs, hoping Brodi would still be flipping through channels on the TV. Sure enough, he was still sitting there, but now a group of ten-year-old's were arguing on whether MTV or Nickelodeon should be on. Brodi watched them intently, but still remaining out of their way.  
  
"Kaori's going out with Mac, is she not?" Moby whispered. Brodi didn't even seemed fazed. Instead, he continued to watch the squabble. But, he still managed to nod. Moby rested a hand on his ally's shoulder and leaned a little closer to him.  
  
"I saw them kissing outside the club. They didn't know I was there, though."  
  
"How much do you hate Mac right now?" the Englishman leered.  
  
"Enough to get revenge."  
  
"Excellent. Then you won't mind joining Psymon, Luther, and I in a little punishment? He lied to all of us at the club, and I'm sure when you were talking with him, he was trying to play victim. Well, it won't work. How 'bout it? That git will get what's coming to him."  
  
Brodi heaved a heavy sigh and narrowed his eyes while biting his lower lip nervously. It would surely ruin his reputation, but what else did he have to lose? His girl was gone now. "Sure, why not."  
  
They shook hands on it and Moby walked off, feeling happier than he'd ever felt before.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Mac knocked on Kaori's room door and waited for her to answer. Instead, Elise pulled it open and stared at him blankly. He didn't know whether she was mad at him, or whatnot.  
  
"Yeah, I am at Kaori's room, right? I mean, this is the number she gave me." he checked the small scrap of paper that she handed him earlier, and confirmed the number.  
  
"She's in the bathroom, fixing her hair. But if you want, you can come in until she's done. I must warn you, it looks like a twister came through."  
  
A twister wasn't exactly strong enough to cause how messy it was in there. More like an earthquake, combined with a hurricane, strong thunderstorm mixed with hail and three twisters. Clothes were everywhere, dishes piled around the big room, and photos of family members scattered around the coffee table. It was a disaster area.  
  
Mac cleared away some clothes that lay on the couch and sat down, clasping something in his hands, tossing it back and forth. Elise kept taking glances at just what could be in his hands and saw a quick gleam before it disappeared into his right hand.  
  
Kaori skipped out, dressed in a jean skirt and a red turtleneck. Her hair was pulled back into a single ponytail. Her makeup was light, but still noticeable. To get to the point, she looked stunning.  
  
Mac stood up, shoving whatever it was he was holding into his pocket. Kaori didn't notice and slipped her hand into his. Elise watched, almost sick. It was too perfect. They left, but not before the phone rang.  
  
The blonde picked it up and waited until the couple left before she spoke into it. "Yeah, this is Elise. What'dya want?"  
  
A short pause. "Elise? Yeah, it's Moby. Just thought you might wanna stop by. I've got something about Mac you might wanna see. Pass it on to Marisol."his English accent wasn't so strong at the moment. In a way, he sounded American.  
  
"WHAT? No way! I wouldn't talk to her if she was the last person on earth!"  
  
"Don't argue please. I don't need this right now. Just do it!" he rasped. The line went dead and Elise gritted her teeth angrily.  
  
She called up Marisol and forced out what she was going to say. "Yeah, Marisol. Well, Moby wants you to meet him in his room. Now." and she hung up.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Kaori and Mac sat across from each other at a local restaurant. Mac kept his hand in his pocket, playing with what he had put in it earlier. It was hard for him to figure out the right time to give it to her. Kaori had managed to notice he was a bit fidgety, but couldn't place just why.  
  
The whole time was spent in either silence, or a quick word and back to silence. Although they found each other's company rather exhilarating, there just wasn't much to say that night. Soon, it just got to the point where they got so irritated and decided to leave.  
  
They walked outside and Mac stopped. Kaori also stopped, a quizzical look on her face. "Mac, what's wrong? Everything alright?"  
  
He exhaled and pulled out a small, gold chain with a small heart placed in the middle. It twirled and sparkled. Mac moved towards her and placed it around her small neck, hooking the clasp and admiring it. "It was my mom's. I always bring it everywhere I go because we usually got along great. And when I found this at the bottom of my suitcase, I figured you'd want it."  
  
Kaori played with it in her hand delicately. She looked back at him, not smiling. "I shouldn't be wearing this. I shouldn't have this. I mean, this is your mom's. It should stay in your family."  
  
He shrugged. "I don't have any family. Go ahead. Have it. I'd lose it anyway, sooner or later."  
  
She hugged Mac, smiling. "You have no idea how much this means to me."  
  
They made the long walk home, both wanting to enjoy the evening without a stuffy cab. When they arrived at the hotel, there was a sort of eerie sense to it that made Mac want to run. He ignored his feelings and headed inside, his arm around Kaori's shoulder. When they reached the door of Mac's room, he heard a few voiced inside. Almost like a lecture was going on, or something along those lines.  
  
He shoved the card into the lock and pushed it open. Both stepped inside and all the attention was drawn to them. Everyone from the SSX was sitting on a couch, Moby, Psymon, Luther and Brodi standing before them.  
  
"What's going on?" said Mac.  
  
Seeiah was the first to speak. "Why did you lie about who you were? About everything?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." he covered quickly. Moby handed him a piece of paper that was in his hand. It was a snippet of the e-mail he sent out to Kyle on his first day. And in Luther's hand was Mac's journal over the past year or so.  
  
Mac looked from the four standing at the front, to those sitting, over to Kaori, and back to the e-mail letter. His heart raced and he stared at Brodi, his eyes almost pleading.  
  
"I can't believe I actually . . . believed you were a celebrity. How stupid could I get?" Zoe muttered.  
  
"Face it, mate. You were a nobody from the beginning. And lying won't solve anything. Didn't yer mum ever teach you that? Why Rahzell let you join, I'll never know. But we all know for sure, it's to never trust you."  
  
Suddenly, Moby took out a lighter from his pocket and the picture of Mac and his parents. A flame sparked from the lighter and he held it to the picture, careful not to burn himself. The fire reflected in Mac's eyes and, adrenaline racing through his body, watched as his picture disintegrated from the red flame. As it ate away his past. When it was finished burning, Moby replaced his lighter and scattered the black ashes on the ground, not one ounce of sympathy within himself.  
  
Luther began to read a small portion of Mac's journal aloud and Kaori ran, snatching it right out of his hand. Psymon came over and took it back, patting her on the head. "Don't worry, babe. Leave everything to me."  
  
"Please stop . . ." Mac hoarsely growled. Voices seemed to laugh at him, mock him. Kaori watched him, so upset she couldn't do more. Rage built up in his chest and he lunged at Moby, knocking him over and started to punch him. Slap him. Anything to get him to feel as much physical hurt as he was feeling emotionally. Everyone jumped up but did nothing.  
  
Brodi stepped over and pulled Mac off of him, throwing him at a wall and slapped him once across the face. He held him by his collar, his lips pursed and his eyes glazed over with tears. Brodi dropped him and kicked him once.  
  
There was a stunned silence. Brodi began to stutter a quick apology. Instead Mac held his side, scrambled up and ran from the room. Kaori felt the after breeze of Mac's rush and held Brodi's glare angrily. Her hand flung to her new necklace and she chased after her new boyfriend.  
  
Brodi narrowed his eyes in sadness while everyone else helped Moby up to the bathroom to fix him up a little. 


	9. Runaway

_Graffiti Decorations_

_Under a cloud of dust_

_A constant wave of tension_

_On top of broken trust_  
  
Mac and Kaori sat beside a nearby pool, abandoned and dirty from lack of care due to the cold weather. Mac held his face in his gloved hands, slowly sobbing. It wasn't supposed to be this way. They weren't supposed to know my parents died, that I lived alone. Anything.  
  
Kaori, too, was shaken. Psymon wasn't her favorite person, and him being so close to her made her a little scared.  
  
_The lessons that you taught me_

_I learned were never true_

_Now I find myself in question_

_(They point the finger at me again)_

_Guilty by association_

_(You point the finger at me again)_  
  
Later, everyone streamed out, looking for Mac. When they found him, they apologized for giving him a scare, but no reason to lie. Except Elise and JP were a little distant, they still got it across that they forgave him. JP even told him a little about how upset he was when he couldn't really talk to his parents and how they always fought, which made him feel a little better, but not much.  
  
_I wanna run away_

_Never say goodbye_

_I wanna know the truth_

_Instead of wondering why_

_I wanna know they answers_

_No more lies_

_I wanna shut the door_

_And open up my mind_  
  
Images of his past flashed through his head. Flashes of the accident. When he found out about his parents death. Dropping from High School. Getting into the SSX and now this. It wasn't going how he planned, and getting out would be much easier than to stay.  
  
"Mac, please listen. They're just jealous. Don't listen to what they say. I want you to listen you yourself. What do you want?" Kaori pushed. She held his hand and leaned against him.  
  
_Paper bags and angry voices_

_Under a sky of dust_

_Another wave of tension_

_Has more than filled me up_

_On top of taking action_

_These words were never true_

_Now I find myself in question_

_(You point the finger at me again)_

_Guilty by association_

_(You point the finger at me again)_  
  
Brodi was one of the last to saunter out, and he was the last person Mac wanted to see. His side still ached with the pain of the kick he received, but it subsided quite a bit. He sat next to Mac and folded his hands, finding the words to say.  
  
"I have good reason to what I did in there. But I owe you an apology. I'm so sorry," Brodi started. Mac didn't seem to pay attention, but inside, he was all ears to what he had to say. Kaori departed for a moment, knowing it wasn't a good time to hang around. The surfer continued. "You see, when I first met you, I wasn't scared that you'd do something to attack me in some way, shape or form. You seemed innocent enough. But, last night, when I saw you with Kaori, you could say I got jealous. And when you kissed her, I flipped. So, I teamed with Moby, Psymon and Luther and wanted revenge. We got hold of your e-mail account because I saw you type in your password that one time. I know you won't forgive me, but I'm hoping you will anyway."  
  
"And that's good reason to get revenge?! What, I wander in here, and I see the most gorgeous girl ever, decide to date her without my even knowing you liked her, and you get mad?! Let's get one thing straight, I forgive you alright, but we'll never be friends like I hoped. Like best friends, if that's how you want to put it. I see how you all are now. Shallow, low- life, evil people who have but one purpose. And that's to put me down."  
  
_I wanna run away_

_Never say goodbye_

_I wanna know the truth_

_Instead of wondering why_

_I wanna know the answers_

_No more lies_

_I wanna shut the door_

_And open up my mind_  
  
Brodi didn't even bother to see his expression. He could tell clearly, just by his tone of voice, what it was. "Not everyone. Only me, Moby, Psymon and Luther. No one else knew. Just us. And I wanted you to leave. I was mad."  
  
"Yeah, well. You know what? You probably just succeeded. Got your wish. However you wanna say it. I'm thinking about quitting. Does that make you feel any better, Brodi? That you had your little kicks and giggles and fun? Playtime's over. You know, you get a certain amount of time before it runs out. Yours just did. Hope you're happy." Mac wavered before meandering off.  
  
"I hope you feel awful, Brodi." Kaori's voice came out surprisingly strong. He made no notion. "You hit him hard. How does it feel?"  
  
"Terrible. I don't know what to do. I mean, I was upset." he tightened and relaxed his jaw repeatedly. The Japanese girl stood, her arms crossed, waiting for the rest of the explanation.  
  
_I'm gonna run away And never say goodbye_

_(Gonna run away, gonna run away)_

_I'm gonna run away And never wonder why_

_(Gonna run away, gonna run away)_

_I'm gonna run away And open up my mind_

_(Gonna run away, gonna run away)_

_(Gonna run away, gonna run away)_

_(Gonna run away, gonna run away)_

_(Gonna run away, gonna run away)_  
  
"Brodi, getting revenge will not get the girl to like you more. At the least, it'll push her away. I used to like you and all. But, now. I just don't know. You've shown me a side I thought I'd never see in you. Like, a split personality. You knew his weak side. He exploited himself to you. And you used it against him? What kind of friend is that, Brodi? You tell me."  
  
"Kaori, I'm sorry, ok? I really loved you."  
  
_I wanna run away_

_Never say goodbye_  
  
"Look where your love got you, my friend." she whispered.  
_  
I wanna know the truth_

_Instead I'm wondering why_  
  
"Please forgive me, Kaori."  
  
_I wanna know the answers_

_No more lies_

_I wanna shut the door_

_And open up my mind_  
  
"I can't do that. Sometime down the line, maybe. But now, I can't do that. While we're on the subject, do you want to know the real reason to me not going out with you?"  
  
_I wanna run away_

_(And open up my mind)_  
  
"Yes."  
  
_I wanna run away_

_(And open up my mind)_  
  
"Because Brodi. Dating someone who's almost 12 years older than me wouldn't be too great for my reputation as well as the younger kids who watch this. I would have gone out with you otherwise." She turned on her heals and walked off.  
  
_I wanna run away_

_(And open up my mind)_  
  
Brodi watched her leave and sat still on the chair, pondering over her words. Whatever friendship he had with Kaori or Mac would dwindle into oblivion. He ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes, regretting everything he'd done.  
  
_I wanna run away_

_(And open up my mind)_


	10. The Final Showdown

Almost three months later were the SSX Championship Finals at Alaska. The six remaining were Moby, Brodi, Marisol, Kaori, Psymon, and . . . you guessed it. Mac. All were suspended high above the air from a helicopter. They peered down anxiously, eager and excited to have made it this far against their allies and, in some cases, their foes.  
  
Mac was perched between Psymon and Kaori, both gripping the siding with intensity so great, their knuckles were white. Although he wasn't used to it, being so high gave him an overwhelming feeling of superiority and greatness. Before he jumped, he tapped his friend on the shoulder. She turned to him, a hint of fear in her eyes. "You're not scared of heights, are you?" he teased.  
  
"Just a little. I don't really like jumping from heights is all." Kaori's English was certainly improving since when they first met. She still had a noticeable accent and all, but all in all, it was still coming along well.  
  
"If we live through this horrible experience, what's say we go out for pizza or some hot chocolate? My treat."  
  
"Mac, you're a nice guy." she smiled, but when the horn honked once, she knew it was time to get into position and get ready to start the race.  
  
Rahzell's familiar voice came over the speakers. "Aight, aight! Ladies and Gentlemen, it's the final round for the SSX World Circuit and the Championship! Let's begin!"  
  
The traffic light-looking-thing before them blinked red, yellow twice, and finally green. The gates opened and everyone went free falling to the icy ground. As soon as their boards hit, they all sped off. It was quite hard to go three feet without hitting someone, taking into consideration the narrow alleyway they were in at the time.  
  
The race was awfully close, everyone not but one second behind the other. They all had at least three month's practice and previous races helped their speed quite a lot.  
  
To the racers, the course ended too soon. Five minutes from the starting, they were stationary at the bottom of the large Alaskan mountain. Sixth was Psymon, Fifth was Brodi, Fourth was Moby, Third was Kaori, Second was Marisol and Mac came in first (well, what did you expect? He's the main character. You gotta have the protagonist always win ^_^).  
  
Mac stepped up to the edge of the stage and preformed a backflip out of pure joy. He grinned happily from ear to ear. Rahzell placed a rather large gold medal around his neck and raised his arm in victory. Then he spoke, "Mac Fraser came in here the youngest player known in the SSX. He leaves most experienced and the best snowboarder this SSX has." The stands erupted into applause and he began to chuckle for no reason.  
  
After everything died down, Kaori leaped into his arms, her scent of perfume and shampoo filling Mac's nose. "Great job! You were great! Terrific! Ichiban!" she cheered. When she saw the quizzical look on Mac when she mentioned he was 'ichiban', she sighed and explained, "Ichiban means number one in Japanese. You are number one!"  
  
He wrapped his hands around her, pulling her into a hug. "Thanks! You were awesome yourself. Third isn't bad at all."  
  
"Yeah, but first is the best."  
  
He pretended to ponder it for a moment before responding. "Yeah, you're right, huh?" they both laughed and hugged some more. But they pulled away when Moby stomped over to them.  
  
Moby ripped his sunglasses from his face, his eyes squinted in rage. "You cheat! You waltz into this competition, and come in first! What's the fairness in that? I work my butt off for two years and have yet to place second at best! You had this race rigged! You and your gang of friends and buddies. Well, wait till next year. I'll be ready next year. Until then . . ." he looked ready to slap his enemy across the face but stormed away, cursing under his breath all the while. When he was out of earshot, both burst into laughter. But, alas, were interrupted again when Brodi approached them.  
  
"I just wanted to congratulate you both for your spectacular performance as well as in your relationship with each other." he seemed to flinch when he said so, not fully healed from his love taken by someone else.  
  
Mac placed his arm around Kaori's shoulder and smiled. "Thanks. I was struggling to stay ahead of you. Through most of the time, that is."  
  
"Yeah, you've gotten so much better since when you got here. My condolence." Brodi nodded and walked off, saying what he had to say. Although, true that Mac and Brodi were on good terms since their fight, they still weren't as great of friends as before.  
  
Kaori faced Mac, her face glowing with pride at her boyfriend. "So, about that pizza . . ." 


	11. The End

All the SSX Boarders were sitting in the lobby of the airport. They waited for each of their plane flights to go home. Although Mac had his apartment back in Merquery City, he was forced to consider a foster home until he was at least eighteen because of the legal issues involved in living alone at such a young age. He decided that maybe it was time to let other people into his life besides a few of the new friends he made and agreed.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Moby and Zoe were sitting beside each other quietly. Ever since that time before they all headed out to the club and Mac had whispered that thing into Zoe's ear, it nagged at him. What had he said to her? Enough was enough and he decided to be straight up. "Zoe, do you remember when we were going out, and Mac had said that I liked you?"  
  
She was silent but obviously remembered, nodding. He continued. "Well, what did he say to you that night, when he whispered into your ear?" Zoe smiled as she spoke. "He said you weren't as bad as you seemed and that we'd make a perfect couple. That, even though you probably couldn't stand him, you were still a great person to talk to when worse came to worse. That sort of stuff. And I thought about it for a while before it finally sunk in. Moby, he really wanted to be your friend. But, when you burned his picture and told us he lied, well, maybe that's where he drew the line."  
  
Moby's jaw was dropped. He never expected that from his rival at all. Heck, he expected something like . . . well. . . to stay away from him or something. His eyes averted Zoe's, and his flight was called.  
  
"Goodbye, love." he kissed Zoe on the top of the head and squeezed her on the shoulder. Zoe saw him off before going to her flight.  
  
~*~*~  
  
After a few hours, everyone's flight had already been called and it slowly dwindled down to just Mac and Kaori. Which was fine with them, considering they wanted the time to reflect on their relationship and going back home.  
  
When Kaori's flight was called, she seemed to resent leaving anything at all. Including the boarders and her life. They both walked solemnly to the one-way flight to Tokyo, Japan. Gloom hung in the air and they were both quiet, but inside they were filled with so many things they wanted to say to one another.  
  
They found the gate and Kaori paused. "This is it. My plane."  
  
"Yeah. Back to regular life at home."  
  
"But it won't be all bad. I mean, now I've met you and all. We can e-mail, write letters, call. It won't end so sudden. Besides, we have next year too."  
  
The silence caused them both to wince. He brushed a strand of her hair from her face and smiled. "What would I have ever done without you this season?" Mac joked. Kaori just shrugged and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.  
  
"I love you, Mac. And I'll miss you," she picked up her bags and shifted her weight. "Goodbye." a small tear conspicuously trailed down her cheek and she gave her ticket to the woman at the gate. Without so much as a glimpse back, she plodded down the hallway and out of sight.  
  
Mac stood for a few more seconds before shoving his hands in his pockets and smiled to himself. Although it wasn't the best time he could have wished to have, he still had next year.  
  
Just wait until Kyle hears about everything . . . 


	12. Credits

Hey everybody! Well, glad to see you liked the story and all! Like I said, this is my credits page and my 'what's to come' page.  
  
Special thanks to Hannah for listening to my story and giving me a ton of ideas about what to do about this. Since no one around my area really knows about Tricky, well, she sat and listened to me. Thanks so much!  
  
And to Devilish Kurumi, Snowri Nishidake, Aiyh-sa, The Infernal Jynx and everyone else who reviewed and loved my story. Ok, guess that's going too far. Who enjoyed my story. Thanks!!  
  
About a sequel. Well, I had thought about it, and I was strongly considering it. Plotline still in progress!  
  
I don't own Spongebob, I don't own Sprite, Dance Dance Revolution, 'Crawling in the Dark', Fendi, 'Runaway', AOL, and everything else in this story. Like I said, I only own the plotline and what not. I'd appreciate it if you don't take anyone I'd made up, such as Kyle. Dunno why you would though. ^_^  
  
I'm so happy that this story was quite a success. I hope you anticipate a sequel. Please give me suggestions! Thanks so much again! Ja ne! 


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